Theresa May has ‘full confidence’ in Philip Hammond after talk of deep Cabinet rift over Brexit dismissed
Jeremy Hunt has also played down claims a briefing war had been unleashed against the Chancellor by colleagues
THERESA May has “full confidence” in Philip Hammond after talk of a deep Cabinet rift over Brexit were dismissed as just "lively" ministerial debate by Jeremy Hunt.
The Health Secretary played down claims a briefing war had been unleashed against the Chancellor, insisting the PM’s top team was "absolutely" united on their strategy for leaving the EU.
Mr Hammond was said to have angered pro-Brexit ministers after he called for a delay on migration controls over concerns of the impact on business, according to reports in The Times and The Daily Telegraph.
But the Prime Minister's official spokeswoman told reporters: "The Prime Minister has full confidence in the chancellor and the work that he is doing."
The Chancellor will be hoping the infamous phrase, known as a ‘kiss of death’ in political circles and often used right before someone is sacked, is in this case an accurate description of her boss’ faith in him to do the job he was only handed three months ago.
Earlier this morning Mr Hunt told BBC Radio Four's Today programme: "If we weren't having lively debates in Cabinet you would be saying 'what's happened to Cabinet government?
“Why aren't you going through, incredibly thoroughly, all the different arguments to make sure that we end up with the right decision?'
"You would expect lively debates to be happening in Government,” he added.
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“Because we are going to get the right solution in terms of securing our borders, but also the right solution economically.
"The British people changed the history of our country on June 23 and the Cabinet is absolutely united that we must respect that decision.
"But we need then to go through, very thoroughly and carefully, all the different options, because we have got to have a new immigration policy, a new trade policy, a new economic policy."
The comments came as anxiety over the Government's apparent support of a "hard Brexit" outside the European single market led to renewed cross-party calls for a vote on the negotiating strategy over the weekend.
Theresa May is seen as increasingly likely to pull the UK out of the single market due to her desire to regain full control over immigration, seen as incompatible with membership of the free trade zone by European leaders.
This has apparently led to a rift in the Cabinet as the Chancellor argues against colleagues' policy ideas that would be incompatible with membership.
We reported Mr Hammond has twice threatened to resign over clashes about the PM’s preferred Brexit strategy.
He apparently also urged caution after the Home Secretary Amber Rudd raised plans for a work permit scheme for skilled migrants last week.
Eurosceptic Tory MP Jacob Rees-Mogg said Mr Hammond needs a "proper Brexit" and told Treasury officials to stop "reheating" George Osborne's warnings about the economic consequences of leaving the EU.